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Definition of plaice

plaice

/pleɪs/
plaice

Plural:plaice
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plaice Lexical Profile

plaice Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

British The mild-flavored, white flesh of this flatfish, commonly battered, fried, or baked and eaten as food.

Example

"For dinner, we ordered crispy battered plaice served with a generous portion of chips and mushy peas."


2

A commercially important marine flatfish (Pleuronectes platessa) of the righteye flounder family, native to the European shelf of the North Atlantic, characterized by a smooth brown skin with distinctive red or orange spots.

Example

"The marine biologist recorded a significant population of plaice thriving near the sandy sea floor."

Word Nuance & Usage

Often confused in spelling with its homophone 'place'. In culinary contexts, it specifically refers to a mild-flavored flatfish popular in European cuisine.

• Rhymes for plaice

Word Origin & Etymology

From Middle English playce, borrowed from Anglo-Norman pleis, derived from Late Latin platessa ('flatfish'), which ultimately traces to the Greek platys meaning 'broad' or 'flat'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Plaice. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 8, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/plaice
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